Somebody seeks the unique person you are in every face among the crowd they see and in every stranger they meet... I know I do.
Cameras, cuisine, chats, and coffee. Let me take your portrait, maybe? Tell me your interesting story.

A post shared by The Lost Wandering Drifter (@lostwanderingdrifter) on Aug 13, 2017 at 8:46pm PDT

... I admit with no shame and with lots of gratitude that this wouldn't have been possible without the kindness of strangers around me. Don't get me wrong, everyone on the hike has been amazing. There are a few I've really appreciated though and they made it memorable. I'm mentioning some of them here - partly because I feel I owe them some measure of gratitude.

I knew this was going to be challenging. Little did I know that it was going to be brutal for me - this was my first time after 15 years.

The Island Beyond. The boat ride to the trek was the easy part.

Tin And Sophie. In the group, these two are the ones whom I talked to first. Turns out they're also the ones I talk to the most. These two angels here are travel buddies who have been hiking several times on steeper and undeniably more difficult terrain. This hike was literally a walk in the park for them. Despite how they could've easily conquered this, they hung back and kept me company the whole way. They were enjoying the scenery taking lots of pictures and went to become as my very own cheerleaders which was adorable and very kind of them.

The Guide Looking Out. Ram here is our guide. Along with Jasper, he's doing an awesome job of leading and keeping track of everyone.

Chito Miranda-- I mean Jasper. Am I the only one who sees that he has resemblance to Chito Miranda? Kidding aside, this is the most patient, optimistic and tolerant man I know. He stuck with me the whole time especially because I was dead last in the hike. On this day, he was definitely challenged in his task as sweeper.

Pick A Card. Jasper carried a pack of cards and does a few tricks while we were resting.

Fatigue. This was taken on the boat on the way back after that long and tiring hike. Behind the shades if one looks closely there is a hint of fatigue in Jasper's eyes. His cheerful disposition did well in making it look easy.

So yes, I climbed Taal. But I never said it was done easily. Perhaps when I go back next time it will be a bit more manageable and can be done on my own. For now, however, I'll need to toughen up for it.

These are just among the few, and there will be more to come. I hope to break the ice with other interesting, if not kind strangers eventually and share their portrait to the world with a bit of their story in the future. There are a lot of kind and interesting
people around us, and I intend to meet them- one stranger at a time.

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Yes, I'm kind of all over the place. Don't hesitate to share your
thoughts on the comments as well. Until then, don't be afraid to get lost and wander.